Femax Chronicles
by Aragem
Summary: Earth isn't the first alien planet to suffer from the Decepticon and Autobot war. NOTE: Chapter 4 rewritten.
1. Prologue

"Are you well?"

His smooth voice carried over the dim room, lit up only by the outside lights of the never sleeping metropolis. The lights spun, rotated, and cascaded across the wall size window. It was a one way window for privacy, but granted a lovely view of Cybertron.

A long U shaped lounge couch was placed before it and on the edge perched a petite figure. "I'm well. Thank you for asking, Prowl."

The glow made the gold trimming of his body gleam at her. The black chassis seemed to absorb the light like a black hole, making the gold stand out from the dark. And that gold nearly blinded her in her shock at seeing him at her door after so many years.

"You are experiencing no problems with upgrades or surgery?" He turned his head, a slight slant in his visor.

She rose, and her legs carried her to stand at his side facing the glass. "There is pain, but I have medicine that helps."

"That is . . . .good." Prowl murmured not looking at her.

Her silver hands clenched in frustration. The urge to scream at him crept at the back of her throat, but she swallowed it back. Screaming and yelling would affect him and would only serve to make her look childish. "That is. . . Yoketron's helmet?"

"Yes. I retrieved it from the one who took his life." Prowl's voice took a deeper edge and she could feel the pain that still lingered in his spark from that terrible, terrible loss.

"I'll pray that his soul receives this news."

"You still pray to the Goddess Yurara?" Prowl focused his visor on her.

She nodded her head, her optical lenses reflected the light. "I haven't lost my beliefs." She casted her gaze aside. "We could go visit his tomb together."

"I cannot. I must return soon."

"Return to where?" She turned her body facing him. She was loosing her patience with him and she wanted answers. "Where have you been?"

"Searching for myself." Prowl responded. "I was . . . sidetrack greatly along the way. It's been . .. hectic."

"You weren't able to send a communication back to me!" She turned to him, her arms crossed over a light blue chest plate that swell forward in a shape of a bosom. "Prowl, you, who I love more than I ever loved my family, I believed that you were dead. Gone from me for the last several decades!"

"I was not in a position to send any word back to Cybertron, forgive me." He bobbed his head in a genuine apology.

She waved a slender hand. "No, I understand. I should not blame you. Even after Yoketron's death, you did sent occasional word to me and I knew that only something terrible would prevent you from responding to me. It feels so good to see you."

They stood in silence for a long time staring out the window. The lights of Cybertron acted as a soothing meditation, allowing them to collect their thoughts.

She was still not over the shock of having him back. If someone had told her that Prowl would be at her door earlier, she would have laughed and called them a liar. But here he was, right beside her, like a solid ghost from the past.

They were the same height, if you didn't include the long spikes of Yoketron's helm. They contrasted in their coloring. Whereas Prowl was dark, she was light colors of white, silver, and light blue. Her arms and face was silver and buffed and polished till they gleamed and her torso and "boots" were light blue matching the wide helm she wore. Attacked to her shoulders and hips was a transparent cloth that accentuated her body and flowed out behind her as she moved. It was arched up in a strangle symmetricalness that reminded Prowl of butterfly wings.

"Are you not afraid?"

His voice caught her off guard, startling her again. "Huh? I'm sorry?"

"The attitude the people bear toward. . . ."

She shook her head. "No, not everyone listens to propaganda and I'm a legal citizen."

"And you don't advertise what you are." There was a lilt in his voice that unnerved her.

She turned to him. "Don't. Please, I just want to enjoy your return. Don't taint it like this."

He turned to face her as well. He raised a hand.

If he had been anyone else, she would have batted it away sharply, but ever since they met, she had craved his touch. Any sign of affection from his cold exterior was something she devoured eagerly like a man dying of thirst.

His metal fingertips hummed as they rolled over the hard plated cheek of her face plate. "Take it off."

"No." She whispered, she tilted her face away, but not too far from his welcomed fingers. "I. . . I can get us some energon. I am able to ingest it now."

"Please," He then whispered a name that she had forsaken so very long ago that her lips trembled, "let me see you."

She couldn't deny him. She wouldn't deny him. They were alone together, no one would see.

She raised her hands to her helm and gentle lifted off. Her head was tapered down with a metallic surface with circuitry zigzagging along the surface. She set the helmet down on a side table nearly and reached behind her head.

Prowl watched her as her wrists moved and he heard a familiar clipping and then a very soft hiss as her face was pushed forward from her skull. Then she took the face plate between her hands and drew it away.

Her cheeks flushed and her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. She licked her lips, making them moist for the first time in weeks.

Prowl smiled at her. A true smile and twin tears rolled down her cheeks. He touched her soft cheek, his index finger gently giving the implants at her right temple a tap. "This is new."

"Oh, this helps me to send communication with my brain. Like you can send and receive signals." She replied.

"It must have been expensive." Prowl replied staring at it.

"Yes, but well worth it."

Then the Femax woman smiled.


	2. First Meetings

----- A long time ago -----

She reclined on throne that her mother had ruled and her grandmother had ruled and her great grandmother had ruled, and up the bloodline to the beginning of her lineage as the First One.

The woman before her was on her knees, giving her case about the famine in her homeland to the east. She had eastern features, lovely dark eyes and clear porcelain skin. She had come to beseech the First One to provide her people with grain to last them through the winter and in return, she promised a large percentage of their surplus for the next ten bountiful years as predicted by their Oracles.

The First One never held with any Oracles, Soothsayers, or even Witches, but unfortunately, there was an abundance because her grandmother believed in them full heartedly. Still, it was true that the Eastern lands was suffering terribly and would surely starve without aide.

The First One granted the woman's request and made an order to her aide to arrange caravans loaded with grain to be taken to the East to be evenly distributed among the population. The Eastern woman, nearly in tears threw gracious endearments toward her queen as she was escorted from the audience hall.

Just as the next Plea was brought before her, the grand double doors opened admitting Shandikar. Silence hushed the audience hall, the musician playing the harp paused, her finger tips still posed to pluck the silken strings, the aide looked up from her planning book, and the serving girls stared at the Commander of the Imperial Guard.

The First One shifted up from her reclined position and stared hard at her Commander. She knew Shandikar well, having trained with her in the Arts of Combat since they were young girls. Shandikar would only barge into Audience Hall where her queen was taking in pleas from the populace unless it was a matter of grave concern.

Shandikar halted at the edge of the steps that led up to the throne. She was a tall and well built woman and her gold armor clicked as she moved. Her hair was bound up tight into a solid bun and the woman clutched her helm to her chest in a deep sign of respect to the First One. "My Highness, we must speak."

"Of what matter?"

"A grave matter, that I must only speak in private with you."

"Very well. Meet me in the War Room."

* * *

The War Room was a large oval shaped room with the walls lined with weapons, books of geography and war philosophy, and maps. It was a room meant for more women, but two would suffice for this discussion for now.

The First One had discarded her ceremonial robes and opted for something light and comfortable. Her long legs were covered by a fine wool for the cool weather and the white silk shirt hid the hard lined muscles that her hard training as a warrior had granted her.

The First One stared at her Commander quizzically. "These beings. . . .they are made of metal?"

"Yes, as my spies have informed me. An archer shot an arrow at one of the monsters, but the bloody thing merely pounded off it's hide. As if it was a simple twig."

The First One stared down at the map where Shandikar had marked showing that these metal beings were located in the Northern highlands where the land was rising up to numerous mountains so high, snow and ice tipped them.

"Has there been violence on their part?"

"No, nothing that would warrant an attack. So far, they've been keeping anyone that is brave or foolish enough to go close away. But the situation is being watched carefully and plans have been made to evacuate the village if they are indeed planning on raiding."

"What has their actions been so far?" The First One touched her solid chin in deep thought.

"They have taken camp at the base of one of the mountains. There was some explosions, but from that location. My spies suspect that they are mining."

"Mining? For what? Those lands are barren of gold or silver, or anything of worth."

"I do not know, but I receive word as they discover more."

The First One stared at the map for a few moments more. "Bring me Sirina Yirij. If they mean us no harm, then at the least they should communicate with us."

"You intend on sending her to open diplomatic ties?" Shandikar inclined her head in deep thought.

"Who else, than the one who used her own words to prevent a war between Southern Shore Confederacy and the Island Tribes?" The First One took a more relaxed tone and sat down in a heavily cushioned bench taking up a cup of wine that had been set there for them before the meeting began by a servant.

"But then, you haven't been informed. Yirij is pregnant. Her baby is due in two months and the long trip will be very hard on her. Not to mention, that should she fail or violence was their intention, she and her child will be put in a very dangerous situation."

The First One crinkled her brow in displeasure. "We have to put the good of most over the good of the few, I am afraid. I cannot risk what could a war over the welfare of an unborn child that may possibly be male. I'll see to it that she travels in comfort and will provide her a servant, Nessa will do."

Shandikar bowed, a first over her heart. "Yes, I will make the arrangements."

"In the mean time, reinforce your women up north with 500 hundred. Take them from the Western and Easter Keeps if necessary. I want there to be preparation for both War or Peace."

* * *

3 Months Later

"Primus, I hate this mudball." A tall vehicular Autobot muttered as he threw a boulder aside as easily as one could toss a beachball.

Prowl exhaled a long deep sigh through his air vents and his hands clenched around a laser pick axe. If he heard that one more time, just one more time. . . . .

They were moving rock out of the way for the mining droids to move. It wasn't necessary work as the droids could easily grind over the rocks, but it was punishment for the fight in the mess hall. Hard Can, the complaining bot, had to see how much it would take to get a rise out of the smaller sleek bot by tripping him in the aisle. Not much.

The Captain and Commander deemed it appropriate that they should share the punishment together.

"Primus, I hate this mudball."

"By the Well of All Sparks, can you not mute it!" Prowl growled. "You hate this place. I know, the crew knows it, the Captain knows it, the ship itself knows it, even the planet knows it! SO MUTE IT!!!"

Hard Can lifted a rock firmly between his two servos. "You don't want to know how hard I can throw this."

Prowl raised his pick axe. "Bring it."

"POW!!! BANG!!! You slaggers better stop it right now." Coming around the corner of the edge of the mine was Warpath. His large pedes crushed the pebbles and rock into the earth and his footsteps made the pebbles at their own pedes rattle on the rock. The powerful mech towered over them, his small blue optics glaring them into submission. "I will personally melt you two down into trinkets if I hear one more thing outta either of you. Clear this rock, now!"

The two smaller mechs very wisely resumed their work without further word as Warpath watched them in silent rage.

This scene was being watched from above from the Captain's Quarters. A tall mech with very broad shoulder armaments watched the duo resume their work and turned his mind to other things. Like these aliens for example.

"Sir, I brought you what you asked for." Triggerflex's soft voice intruded on his thoughts. He carried a greenish colored liquid in a glass container with a elegant Cybertronian drinking cup beside it on a tray.

"Good." He nodded at his adjutant. He poured himself a drink and took a long sip. His engines hummed with delight as the isotopes within touched his fuel lines. It was well worth coming to this planet for this delightful substance.

Nova Prime thought back to the initial reports of this planet. The reports had come from a million years back and hadn't been updated since. It seemed that in that million years, these creatures evolved to the primitive society that they discovered when they came to collect the crystals.

But it seemed that this culture wasn't as primitive as he had hoped. They sent an envoy to open dialogue with them. By Autobot laws, he couldn't deny nor reject any offerings that could lead to peace. He spoke with a Sirina Yirij, an ample alien with an extended belly which he later learned to his disgust contained her infant daughter.

Fortunately, they spoke a language that they had recorded in their databases, 48Z-point F27, sub-dialect L486Q. And communication was easier than he would have liked. He wanted to take the crystals and go, but like any culture with common sense, the Femaxians wanted answers and payment for their land.

As if the barbarian femmes could have any use for lead sulfide crystals in this stage of their evolution!

They had written up and recorded a small treaty between himself and Sirina Yirij. He acting on behalf of the Autobot Council and she acting on behalf of the First One, their leader. The Autobots were granted free access to any materials of the land that would aide them in their war, if they would defend Femax from any threat, such as Decepticons as a prime example.

Of course, there was other smaller exchanges as well. They would teach the Femax some technology and there was other material that was useful as well on this planet.

One thing that he quickly noticed was that it was all femmes. No mechs, or organic males in this case. Sirina Yirij explained that for some reason their men were often born with a very primitive brain. They didn't grasp language easily and were often very violent. Thus, they were kept away in the Wilderness, the far, far west and only a few were kept with the women for breeding and manual labor.

Daughters were precious, but any son was born was either killed before his first bath or given to the wild men to raise.

Well, this was a very interesting culture indeed.


	3. River

---- 2 years later -----

Prowl hunkered in the corner, his pedes tapping a tune on the edge of the wall. He wondered how long he would wait in the brig this time.

He had become accustomed to this cell as he had his own quarters that he shard with a mini-bot modeled named Sunspot. What was it? His third time this week in the brig? What would they punish him with now? Mopping and buffing the floor? Energon duty?

It seemed that he spent more time being punished than actually serving the Cause as the elders and his superiors kept chanting at him and his "comrades". Everyone was a cog in a bigger machine and all that grease.

He heard the far doors hissed open and he pushed himself to his pedes as the Second in Command took her usual spot outside the stasis shield. She stared at him, greatly displeased, her lips pursed and her blue optics slightly narrowed.

"Officer Chromia." Prowl performed a mocked salute. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Mute the sarcasm, Prowl." The older femme replied in a gruff, yet feminine tone. "You are treading on the thin edge of a smelting pool with the superiors. What was said and done this time?"

"Hard Can needs to learn to check his vocalizer before he engages it." Prowl muttered.

"Hard Can again? Primus, Prowl, can't you just ignore him?" She sighed touching her servos to her brow. "If this keeps up, you'll find yourself in the Stockades."

Prowl ignored her. "What is my punishment?"

"Nothing this time. It was witnessed that Hard Can pulled the first punch, but you got off lucky this time." Chromia turned off the stasis field and he stepped out, a free mech for now. "You can report for duty. It's your turn for patrol."

"Great." Prowl replied very dryly.

* * *

It was this part of the planet's morning and his wheels crunched the grass against the earth. He was in bike mode and it cruised along the dusty path winding between trees. This was his first time visiting an organic planet, but this was the first time he had the chance to explore it alone. Longbar, who usually patrolled with him was unavailable due to some internal problems with his rotators. Prowl suspected that he had helped himself to too much overcharged from the still he and some others had set up.

They had allowed Prowl to go alone. There was no danger and nor have they encountered any due to the secrecy of this planet and the treaty written up between Nova Prime and Sirina Yirij.

This was better for Prowl. He didn't want to listen to hundreds of stories that Longbar insisted in sharing about bars, femmes, and cesspools that Prowl cared nothing for. It helped clear his mind to just hear the organic forest instead of empty's long winded voice.

He liked being alone.

It wasn't his choice to join the military. The draft carried out and he was hauled in along with any bot capable of shooting a gun and following orders, or in his case, just able to shoot a gun.

He heard the gushing sound of water rolling over stones nearby. It was a small river that separated the alien's territory and the Autobot mining base. He never been across the river before, he was never given an opportunity.

He rolled off the back toward the edge of a steep slope that led forward into a rushing stream of water. It was shallow allowing him to see the round smooth rocks below the surface. Even dark shapes moved within the water. What were those?

He moved too close to the edge and the morning drew made the grass sleek. The front wheel slipped off tilting him downward. He reacted to the sudden unexpected movement by transformer and thus loosing what little balance he had.

He yelped as he tumbled down the slope and landed in the water resulting in a large splash that frightened away the shapes in the water. He laid in the water, face up, waiting for his circuits to reload and boot up. Then he heard a giggle.

He shoved himself up sending water streaming down his back and creme color shell. A very short alien was standing in the stream with her hands clutched to her mouth and her shoulders shaking in mirth. A Femaxian alien.

He had seen one occasionally throughout his stay on Femax. One would come on a mount, that made him think of an organic lizard with very long legs, and a small envoy would arrive with Sirina Yirij to discuss matters with Nova. But he never saw one this short. It looked deformed.

Whereas most of the Femaxians were tall and slender limb, this one was rather short with rounded out cheeks. And he noted that her chest lacked the curvature that all Femaxians bore. Still, Prowl did not like being laughed at.

"What's so funny?" He huffed as he got to his pedes.

She didn't reply. She continued to giggle and then clap her servos together in delight at him. He stared at her for a full moment and then proceeded to head to the slope to leave.

He heard splashing behind him and twisted his head around to see the Femaxian following him. Her short legs struggled to cut through the streaming water. He turned and waved his servos at her. "No! Go away! You can't follow me!"

The alien paused and stared at him blankly and then made the same shooing motion with her own servos.

"Stop that!"

This resulted in another giggle from her. Prowl threw his servos up and proceeded to scale the slope to return to his duty. This was a waste of time, but it was still better than listening to Longbar's tales. The slope was very steep, even for him. The grass seemed to refuse to allow him a good hold on the surface and his pedes kept slipping. If he had had opted for tracks on his tires, he could transform and his vehicular mode would have gotten him out of here.

However, he was destined to slip against and slide backwards into the water, knocking over his unwanted companion. She fell backwards into the water, her head submerged for a full three seconds. She sat up, coughing up water that had been inhaled and blinking droplets from her eyes.

Prowl pushed himself onto his knees and watched her for a moment. "That's why you shouldn't have followed me."

She was stunned for a single moment and then she drew breath and howled. Prowl's audios sparked internally at the high pitch of it. He waved a servo at her, "Hey, stop! It's your own fault. . . .Primus, I'm sorry, okay!"

The LAST thing he needed right now was to be accused of attack a Femaxian alien. He doubted brig time and stacking energon drums would cover this. He stood and picked up the alien between two servos and placed her at the edge of the bank. Maybe getting her out of the water would help.

She was soft. He could feel her skin through the short shift she wore indent over his metal servos and he felt her engine thrum within her body. And most amazing of all, he could feel her very own spark pulse withing her and it was pulsing hard and fast.

He set her down and then removed his hands from her waist. She rubbed her optics with both hands and he noticed that the whites around the blue disc in the center was tinged with pink. Did he damage her?

She had stopped howling, which was an improvement, but she was still making sniffling sounds and whining.

Prowl had a thought. This always delighted femmes wherever he went. He shifted to the side and projected his hologram. The alien squeaked in surprise as a copy of herself appeared right beside her. She stared at it a few seconds and then shrieked which ended in a peal of giggles and babbles.

A small smile touched his lips and he switched off the projection much to the disappointment of the alien. "I have to go now. Please, don't follow me."

She shook her head, her long dark hair flying about her face. Prowl turned to try the slope again and she made another wail that made him pause. What now? He looked down to see her small hands grasping his leg, trying to keep him from going.

He released a long sigh through his vents. "I have to leave. Can't you understand that?"

She looked up at him with her spiral liquid filled eye and then pressed her face into his leg and hugged it tight.

"Farla! Farla, where are you? Answer me!"

Both the mech and the alien looked to the opposing slope. A tall figure appear cloaked in grey and long dark hair flowing from her scalp. The little alien squealed and finally spoke, "Mama!!!"

Then "Mama" stared stumbling down the slope far more gracefully than Prowl himself. "Farla, you bad girl! You had your mother tearing apart the house looking for you!"

The woman splashed into the shallow water, ignoring that her robes were getting soaked, so great the relief she felt at finding her lost child alive and well. She grabbed the child and clutched her to her chest. "You could have drowned!"

Then "Mama" set her gaze on him. "You are from the mines."

"I am." Prowl replied, unsure. He had only seen Femax from a distance, and never exchange conversation with them.

"I hope my child was not a bother to you."

Prowl glanced at the child, he now realized that she wasn't deformed. She was just very young. She was an organic protoform. "She wasn't a bother."

"I must return her home."

Prowl then recognized the Femax. She was Sirina Yirij, she had often visited the ship to speak with Nova Prime. He also remembered that she had been in the process of manufacturing her offspring when they had arrived. Was this the child?

Sirina Yirij waded through the water, holding the child close to her chest. The little one peered over her mother's shoulder, her blue eyes on him. Then her face broke out in a bright smile and she waved.

He found himself waving back.

* * *

It seemed that Longbar's rotary problem was more severe than thought. Prowl would be going on his patrols alone. And each time he went, he heard splashing down in the river.


	4. Reunion

------Present Day-----

Her eyes would not leave him. He sat across from her and sipped his energon. The way that he cupped the bottom of the cup with one hand and his cream colored fingers curled around it. That simple motion brought back memories from years long dead. She loved him for bringing those memories back.

She had taken off her armored shelling, leaving her arms and shoulders bare. Beneath the armor, she wore a tight fitting leotard, which was comfortable and was cool. Though her skin was synthetic, it was interwoven with artificial nerves that provide the touch sense. The skin was reflexive of bright light and was void of faint blood veins. She considered of getting it cut away and replaced with a metallic shell, but something kept her from going through with setting up a date with the surgeon.

For while, no words were spoken. The room was filled deep sense of reunion and dread of separation on her part, but on his part, she was too afraid to inquire.

"Where have you been?" That was the burning question of the hour.

He set down the cup and held it loosely between his hands. She knew those hands could instantly tighten into fists or flex into a pose of martial arts. Right now, she just wanted to hold one of them with hers.

"After I left, I left Cybertron and went to the edges of Autobot territory. I wanted to get away from distractions. . . . "

_What I one of those distractions?_ She bit her tongue to keep from blurting out that question. She was too afraid of what the answer would be.

"My ship was accidentally destroyed. . . I joined a space bridge crew who was going to give me a lift back to Cybertron, but we were sidetracked by Decepticons."

_Were you coming home?_

"To make a long story short, we were in stasis for fifty stellar cycles. . . .that's why I didn't contact you, and for the solar cycle I was aiding the crew on Earth. That's the planet we crashed on."

"What happened?"

He told her the story. They had found the Allspark and had a series of battles with Decepticons protecting it. They also battled human criminals in order to protect the city that had taken them in. He described to her what humans were and she crinkled her brow.

"Soooo, they are small Femaxians?"

"Yes, I was very surprised myself. There are slight differences. Their eyes are smaller and ears more rounded, but they are remarkable similar to your race." Prowl took another sip.

"And their men are. . . .civilized?"

"Yes, in fact according to their history, most of their cultures have where the males lead and the females followed." There was a smile touching his lips as he watched her reaction.

She had never seen a male of her species. She never saw her own father. She vaguely remember her mother telling her that she chose a gentle looking male to sire her child. The idea of men actually taking a lead in society confused her and made her uncomfortable.

There must have been a very confused look on her face because he chuckled softly and it brought a smile to her own mouth. "I think you are teasing me."

"It's true." He assured her.

They talked. He spoke to her of his team on Earth. About the inexperienced, but brave Optimus Prime, a crusty old medic bot, Ratchet, huge, but gentle Bulkhead, and feisty and loyal Bumblebee. He even spoke a small human named Sari who had become their guide on Earth.

She tilted her head and watched him speak of his friends and family. Prowl had never been a social creature, always going it alone. When she was a small girl, he had gotten into several fights with his crew members on Femax. And during their happy years, he usually just kept company with Yoketron and herself. A sprout of jealousy grew in her heart. She preferred being the only one who was close to him.

But then, they couldn't have been very close since he left so long ago.

She told him about her time since he had left, and how she had moved up from secretary to Breakridge's aide.

"Galatics Trade is still in business?"

"Yes, we're the top leading corporation in outer planet trading. But, there have been heavy taxes imposed on exports and imports have to go through a series of screening and sterilization that we end up paying out more than we receive."

"Sentinel Prime?" Prowl muttered. "He hates and fears organics."

"And he spreads his fear through propaganda." Farla curled her fingers around her cup. "You can't go anywhere without hearing his promises of saving Cybertron from the Decepticon threat if he is chosen as Magnus. Breakridge promises that if Sentinel Prime ever becomes Magnus, he is throwing himself off the top of Galactic Trade tower."

"You must be careful. If they find out. . . ."

She touched his hand, and smiled. "Don't. I'm a legal citizen. Yoketron saw to it. But I taken caution and I carry my ID with me just in case."

"Who your friend?" She was startled when he lifted his hand from hers and pointed at round image disc.

The image was of herself in her shell, her facial plate smiling as she stood close to the mech beside her with his arm snugly around her. The mech was a head taller than herself with turquoise and light green coloring. His green optics were bright almost glowed in the picture.

"That's Crash. He's. . . .more than a friend." She whispered.

"Does he know?"

"Yes, I told him before we became involved."

"Does he treat you well?"

"Oh, yes. He treats me very well, Prowl." She smiled at the image. "I think you and he would get along."

He didn't reply. He didn't need to. Likely, they wouldn't be friends due to his lone nature. Crash was clumsy around strangers that endeared him to her. It was Prowl's grace that intrigued her.

"Have you been to Yoketron's Tomb?" She whispered.

He shook his head, his visor slanting inward, his lips becoming thin.

"We could go together. The anniversary of his death is coming up soon. We should go together then."

His voice was empty when he replied, "We could do that."

_After all these years, his loss still hurts you deeply. _

Was she being disloyal or ungrateful to the elder ninjabot by not being in pain as Prowl was? She had loved him dearly and his loss had devastated her. She prayed and fasted at the anniversary of his death and visited his tomb. Was there more she could be doing for his memory?

He stood. It was a smooth motion that drew her eyes to him. "I must return to Earth now."

"No, you don't have to leave now." She stood reaching out to touch his arm. "Please, it's been so many solar cycles since I last saw you."

"Farla . . . ."

"Fairlight." She corrected.

"Fairlight," He murmured her Cybertronian name. "I have responsibilities that I cannot ignore on Earth. I have a team that needs needs me there."

"I'm sorry if I sound selfish, Prowl. I really do, but I can't help it. I don't know when I'll see you next. I don't know if you'll become incapacitated again, like you said and go missing for another 50 stellar cycles. Can you not just stay for a while longer? Or just stay? Reopen the dojo and train students. Thats what Yoketron would have wanted for you."

"Do not confuse Master's wishes with your own." Prowl replied tartly cutting her off. "I cannot take on students if I am still a student myself. I've yet to complete my training, Fairlight, and my place is on Earth now. There may be a day when I have a place at the dojo, but that day has not arrive, or may never arrive."

She glanced away from him, her arms crossed over her chest. His rebuke had hurt, but there was the bitterness of truth in his words that stung. Then she realized how selfish she was being. Prowl was a free spirit and a loner. What she would accept whole heartedly, he rejected with abhorrence. Domestic life was not in this mech's nature and to force him into it would be a sin.

She turned her face away from him, her hand covering her eyes in her shame. She wished him all the happiness in the universe, but wanted him close too much to let him go with an open heart.

She felt a touch on her shoulder and she lifted her chin to see him standing next to her. He took her hand away from her face and held it in his own. His cool metal felt hard on her synth-skin and she swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Come with me."

"What?" She turned her face to look at him. "Go to Earth?"

"It's identical to Femax. Yet, has Cybertronian like architecture. The Earth is what Femax could have become if the Decepticons never took over."

She wasn't enthused about seeing a planet that would remind her of Femax. The pain of her time living under Decepticon rule had been very dark, watching her mother die a slow death and living in constant fear that one of these metallic monsters would kill her on a whim.

But her going to Earth was what Prowl wanted. She could never deny him, for that he rarely asked her for anything.

"I will go."


End file.
